


Time to Go Home

by lanadelraywood



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: kees, kees th goats, mayb a bit sad but ... its ok, n the flower, n the gay, n the skellies, very fluf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-13
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-05-13 17:45:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5711350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanadelraywood/pseuds/lanadelraywood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this lovely piece of art: http://shomunn.tumblr.com/post/132397847908/hwen-frisk-givs-u-a-kees-u-r-filled-wit</p>
<p>(fr a tru immersive experience, listen to the undertale ost tracks for each character while u read. i recommend: 12, 24, 15, 82, 37 with 51 playing quieter at the same time (but maybe not bc it actually doesn't sound great), 77, 3 and 34 IN THAT ORDER. u might have to loop a couple of them tho)</p>
<p>ps im very bad at titles i just want 2 kiss my family</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time to Go Home

**Author's Note:**

> ok this is the first time i did any of that changing the font stuff so if anything's weird or off pls tell me and i'll try to fix it

You awoke to the scent of a butterscotch cinnamon pie, and realised that Toriel must have once again left a slice on the floor. Pushing the covers off, you decided that this was the greatest possible way to wake up.

You swung your legs out of bed and dropped down the short distance to the hardwood floor. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. Immediately, you wanted to go and taste some of the delicious pie waiting on its plate on the floor, but upon remembering the day you had planned, decided to at least put socks on first.

A few moments later, after you’ve fully dressed, you picked up the plate of pie and carried it out into the hall. You realised you should have taken a bite first, as you need both hands to carry the plate. Slowing your footsteps slightly, you brought the plate closer to your mouth and attempted to take a bite. It was messy and inconvenient, but effective nonetheless.

Proud of yourself, you continued walking downstairs till you found yourself in the kitchen. You placed the plate of pie on the table and entered the living room, where you found Toriel in her armchair, reading.

“Oh, hello Frisk,” she said, smiling warmly when she saw you. “Up already?”

You walked closer to her, and she set her book down on the table next to her chair, picked you up and placed you in her lap. She hugged you tightly and you hugged back, wondering not for the first time if perhaps she was reliving some memories unknown to you. She released you after a moment and looked at you, still smiling gently.

“Did you find the pie I left you?” She asked.

You nodded.

“Excellent. All finished?”

You shook your head.

“No?” She questioned, looking concerned. “Was something wrong with it?”

You shook your head again, this time more vigorously. As if Toriel could make a pie that had something wrong with it. Well, you amended, remembering her snail pies. As if Toriel could make a _butterscotch cinnamon_ pie that had something wrong with it.

“Then what?” Toriel looked confused now.

You smiled at her, then leaned up and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

A delighted smile finds her face as she looked down at you. Her eyes shone as she patted your back gently.

“Thank you, my child,” she said quietly, still smiling. “Go eat now, alright?”

You nodded, hopping off her lap.

One down. Eight to go.

\--

After having eaten and brushed your teeth (as per Toriel’s gentle insistence) you left the house and went in search of a certain pair of skeletons.

You found them, as you had assumed, next door. After coming to the surface everyone decided to live nearby to each other, and for some reason unbeknownst to you, Sans had requested a house next to Toriel’s. Of course, where Sans went, Papyrus would follow.

You walked up the driveway, admiring Papyrus’s red sports car and how it hadn’t a single scratch in sight. Papyrus told everyone he parked in the driveway because the garage was being used as Sans’s workshop, but everyone who had been inside knew that the garage was only slightly full, and there was more than enough room for Papyrus to park there. You wondered if maybe Papyrus just hadn’t discovered the garage door opener.

You stood in front of the door to the house and knocked. The door was sure to be unlocked, and you knew that. You also knew that neither skeleton would mind if you opened the door and walked in, but Toriel taught better manners than that.

However, the seconds turned to minutes and even after knocking a second time and still not getting a response, you decided your manners needed a nap. You opened the door and let yourself in.

“HELLO? WHO’S THERE?” A voice asked from the kitchen, and Papyrus poked his head out from behind a wall. You waved to him and he waved back, revealing the wooden spoon his hand. “HELLO TINY HUMAN! HOW ARE YOU?”

You gave him a thumbs up and joined him in the kitchen, sitting on a stool by the counter as he continued cooking… Whatever he was cooking. It looked like a bit of a mess. You noticed he was wearing an apron that said, “Kiss the skeleton!” on it and you giggled.

“WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SPAGHETTI?” He asked you, sliding a bowl of what certainly did not look like correctly cooked spaghetti towards you. You felt a little bit guilty that you were full.

You shook your head and patted your stomach, indicating that you had just eaten. He nodded in understanding before asking what had brought you to his “HUMBLE ABODE.”

You beckoned towards him, indicating he step closer, and when he did, you stood on your stool and stretched up, leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to Papyrus’s chin – the highest you could reach. You sat back down on the stool and smiled at him, hoping he wouldn’t think you were trying to date him again.

You had never seen a skeleton look more delighted.

“HUMAN! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BESTOWING THIS GIFT UPON ME,” he told you, elation in his voice. He paused before saying,“ARE YOU PERHAPS GIVING THESE GIFTS TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS?”

Still smiling, you nodded at him and hopped off the stool.

“EXCELLENT!” He exclaimed. He lowered his voice and then added, “IN THAT CASE, MAY I INFORM YOU THAT MY BROTHER IS CURRENTLY IN HIS SECRET LABORATORY. ALTHOUGH, YOU DID NOT GET THIS INFORMATION FROM ME.”

If skeletons could wink, Papyrus would have.

\--

As Papyrus had said, Sans was in the garage. You opened the door quietly, hoping that maybe today would be the one where you could scare him. It had become something of a tradition: since he had frightened you rather a lot when you first met, you had been trying to get him back. However, he seemed to have some sort of sixth sense and always knew when you were around.

Today was no exception. Within a second of stepping inside the garage, Sans was saying hello to you without even turning around.

He glanced over his shoulder at you, grinning as he always did. You smiled back at him and walked over to see what he was working on. They seemed to be blueprints for a high tech hot dog stand of some sort. Judging by how he’d hastily pushed some other blueprints underneath it, you doubted this was what he was _actually_ working on.

“hey kid,” he said. “my hot dog stand looks pretty interesting, huh? i was thinking of setting it up so two people could work there. you want a job?”

You thought about it for a moment and almost considered saying yes before you remembered how many breaks Sans liked to take. Though, you reflected, you would have quite a bit of space to yourself. Ultimately, you shook your head.

“figured as much. anyway, what are you doin’ here?” He asked.

You stepped towards him and paused – sometimes he looked rather panicked when you moved quickly although you’d no idea why. When he didn’t seem afraid you leaned forward again and kissed his forehead – mostly because you could. It was nice having a friend around your own height when everyone else was so tall.

“aw, gee, frisk,” Sans said after a moment, brushing something out of his eye socket and looking at the ground. “what was that for?”

You only shrugged, not knowing you needed a reason to show your family you cared about them. Sans still seemed rather quiet, however, and you wondered if he was okay. You put your hand on his shoulder and he looked up at you. You had never seen this expression on him before. He looked almost sad.

You decided that for this particular family member, you would go the extra mile. You stepped forward again and put your arms around him properly, giving him a hug. You pat his back gently and he hesitantly hugged you as well. You felt him rest his head on your shoulder.

After a moment, you stepped back, studying his expression to make sure he was feeling better. He smiled at you reassuringly and you returned it.

“thanks, kid.”

You nodded and turned to go, and had almost made it to the door when he spoke again.

“hey, hang on, i got a bone to pick with you.”

You groaned quietly and then turned, waiting for him to speak.

“who told you i was in here?”

You made a zipping motion across your lips, indicating that that was a secret.

“alright, i see how it is.” Sans shrugged. After a second, he added, “was it that vertebro of mine?”

You laughed so hard you didn’t need to answer him.

\--

The next house you visited was the prettiest one in the neighbourhood, you thought. It was where Napstablook and Mettaton lived. You were glad that after moving to the surface Mettaton was behaving like a good cousin should. Perhaps you were influenced by Toriel in some part by that thought but that didn’t make it less true. You knew that Napstablook had been lonely and while Mettaton being back wouldn’t make them completely better it would certainly help.

You walked up the driveway, admiring the way they’d somehow managed to paint their house to look like a combination of those they had left in the Underground. They made the colours blend well together and as you got closer to the door you realised that the intricate knocker was shaped like a music note. You tried to reach it but it was a bit too high for you. Maybe Mettaton could get it lowered a bit.

You were about to knock but you realised that you could hear faint music from inside. Though it was muffled by the door, it still sounded quite pleasant and you were glad that the two were succeeding as much as they were.

You knocked on the door and after a second the music paused. You heard footsteps getting louder and then the door was flung open with flourish.

Mettaton stood there, tall and proud, staring straight ahead. He didn’t see you at all. You tapped his knee.

He looked down and smiled delightedly when he saw you.

“Frisk! So nice of you to visit. Blooky and I are just working on our new song. Ah, you must have heard it through the door. Would you like to come and listen to it properly?” Mettaton often spoke a lot, but that didn’t bother you in the slightest. He was quite happy to go on and on about this and that without needing anyone else’s input. You were just as happy to be the ears to listen.

You nodded in response to his question. Immediately he swooped down and picked you up, carrying you quite easily as he shut the front door and brought you to the room he and Napstablook were working in. It always surprised you how comfortable and … non-metallic Mettaton’s arms were.

Napstablook looked over when the two of you walked in and they offered you a small smile which you returned. As per usual, they had their headphones on and were working diligently on their music. You admired how focused Napstablook was. When they weren’t lying on the floor feeling like garbage, they were quite productive. Not to mention the fact that they seemed a lot more happy nowadays.

Mettaton set you down on an extremely comfortable sofa and asked if you wanted a drink. Before you could answer, he declared he’d fetch you a glass of water, because “the walk from your house must have been exhausting!” It couldn’t have been more than a couple minutes, but you knew better than to argue with Mettaton.

After the robot had left the room, you stood up and walked over to where Napstablook was. They seem to have decided to take a break since there was a visitor.

“oh…. hello frisk… would you like to listen to the song mettaton and i are working on?”

You nodded, and Napstablook hit play. A delightful melody began playing through the speakers around the room and you closed your eyes as you listened. There was something about their music that made you feel like you were floating, whether the tune was happy or sad. You always felt comfortable with their music.

“do you… like it?” Napstablook asked after a moment and you opened your eyes, smiling widely. You nodded excitedly and Napstablook seemed delighted.

You weren’t entirely sure if this would work but you knew you had to try it anyway, so you stepped forward and attempted to kiss Napstablook’s cheek. Your face rather went through them a bit, but you hoped the message got across.

As it happened, it did. Napstablook was silent for a moment, expression unreadable and for a moment you were afraid you’d done something wrong, but then the ghost smiled. You smiled, too, but before you could say anything, the sound of glass shattering followed by vigorous applause broke out. The two of you looked towards the doorway, where Mettaton stood, a tearful expression on his face.

“Beautiful! Simply beautiful!” Mettaton exclaimed. “Bravo, Frisk, that was excellent. And, Blooky, of course, exceptional as usual! I wish I’d caught that on film, it would have been great for my next movie!” Having seen some of Mettaton’s movies, you weren’t too sure about that.

“mettaton… you know i don’t show up on camera…” Napstablook pointed out timidly.

“We’d make it work,” Mettaton said, waving a dismissive hand.

You smiled and went to sit back on the couch. Considering your progress so far, you figured you had a bit more time to sit and listen to music before moving on to the next house.

“Don’t take another step darling!” Mettaton cried suddenly, and you froze, looking at him in confusion.

“I dropped the glass when I saw your heart-wrenching act,” he explained, and you frowned lightly. “Oh, silly, I know it wasn’t fake but what can I say?” He walked over to you again and was about to pick you up when Napstablook spoke again, this time directed at you.

“hey……. frisk………,” they said, and you turned to look at them. “you….” The ghost looked away for a moment, apparently searching for the right words to say. “you make a lot of people happy, you know? …..thanks.”

You heard Mettaton behind you gasping as though he’d heard the most amazing thing anyone could ever say, and you smiled at Napstablook wider than you’d smiled all day. You turned, looking at Mettaton to pick you up again but he seemed near tears, applauding again. You decided to chance your luck avoiding the glass as you walked back to the couch, still smiling.

\--

After a good half hour of listening to the cousins’ new music and then another twenty minutes of your favourite songs, you decided you had to go. You turned to Mettaton, who was sitting next to you on the couch and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked at you and seemed to realise what you were trying to say and nodded.

“You’re absolutely right darling, you can’t stay here forever,” Mettaton announced, standing up as the final song finished. Napstablook turned to wave goodbye and you smiled at them again. Their eyes were bright and happy.

Mettaton hoisted you up, carrying you from the room. You waved over his shoulder at Napstablook one more time before they disappeared from view. Mettaton brought you back to the front door and was about to set you down when you stopped him.

“Is something the matter?” He questioned, but you shook your head. Why did grownups always think something was wrong?

You leaned over and kissed Mettaton’s cheek. It was surprisingly warm.

“Frisk!” Mettaton exclaimed, grinning delightedly at you. “You’re a ray of sunshine, darling! Please let me know if you ever want to consider being in one of my shows - they’ll love you!” He set you down on the ground.

You looked up at him, and though he always seemed focused solely on showbiz, you could tell he was pleased. You waved goodbye and hopped down the front steps. You heard Mettaton call after you to be careful and then the sound of the door shutting tight.

\--

You walked to the next house over, which belonged to Alphys and Undyne. The driveway was long, but not nearly as extravagant as Mettaton and Napstablook’s. That was okay though, because it still looked nice.

You reached the door and were about to knock when it flung open, startling you backwards.

“Gotcha!” A voice cried, and you looked up to see Undyne laughing at you. “Saw you through the peephole.” She grimaced a bit, muttering something like, “what a stupid word.”

You tried to copy Toriel’s scolding look but it was rather ruined by you smiling.

Undyne stepped backwards, holding the door open properly and invited you in. You stepped over the threshold and she shut the door behind you.

“Alphys and I are about to watch some new anime. There’s so much more stuff on the surface than she had in the Underground, I’m surprised she hasn’t exploded or something,” Undyne was saying as you entered the TV room, arguably the largest room in their house. They had a huge TV, and you were always happy to come visit. Not just because of the TV of course, but it certainly helped.

Alphys was sitting on the comfortable couch and had turned to look over the back of it when the two of you came in.

“H-Hello, Frisk,” Alphys said, smiling nervously as she waved at you. She’d become a lot more sure of herself after unveiling her experiments hidden in the True Lab, but even so you knew she still wasn’t completely over it. She was getting better though, you knew.

You smiled back at her and returned the wave.

“A-Are you going to be able to stay and watch anime with us?” Alphys asked and you considered for a moment. You’d have a long walk later and you still needed lunch.

“You got other plans, don’t you?” Undyne asked, noticing your hesitation.

You nodded apologetically.

“Well, that’s alright,” Alphys said reassuringly. “We don’t have to start it just yet. What brought you here, anyway?”

You looked between the two of them, wondering if Alphys would be sad if you kissed Undyne first. You were more worried that Undyne would be mad if you kissed Alphys first, though. As you stood contemplating, Alphys’s phone buzzed.

“O-Oh, sorry,” she mumbled, pulling it out and checking it. “It’s from Papyrus,” she said.

“Well? What’d he say?” Undyne asked, leaning forward over the back of the couch to try and peak at the screen.

“He says – oh. Oh.” Alphys’ face turned red, and she glanced up at you.

You had a feeling your surprise had been slightly ruined. Nonetheless, you were filled with determination as you strode forward and kissed Alphys’s cheek gently.

“Oh,” she said again, burying her face in her claws after setting her phone down.

Undyne picked it up and read the message. She grinned at you and knelt down.

“Get it over with then, punk,” she told you. She sounded anything but apprehensive. It was a nice change in demeanour from when she was trying to kill you, you decided. You stepped forward and gave her a kiss too. She ruffled your hair. You nodded towards Alphys, who still seemed flustered, and indicated that Undyne also kiss her, albeit for a different reason.

“See ya around, kid,” she said before jumping over the back of the couch and sitting next to Alphys.

You caught a glimpse of your reflection in the TV screen as you were walking out. Your hair was sticking up a bit from when Undyne had messed with it.

You thought it looked cool.

\--

The last house in your family’s row was Asgore’s. He was the only one to live by himself, but from what you saw of him, he was still happy. Since he lived the farthest away from Toriel, she was happy too.

Asgore tended lovely gardens in the front and backyards. You liked to stop and look at the flowers on the way up to his front door, and today was no exception.

It took you a couple minutes, but it was nice. And these flowers didn’t try to kill you, so you decided it was a bonus.

You walked up to the door and knocked. You rocked back and forth on the balls of your feet while you waited for an answer. You didn’t have to wait very long as a moment later the door swung open to reveal Asgore, who was so tall you had to crane your neck to look at him.

“Oh, hello, Frisk.” His deep voice rumbled as he spoke. “Would you like to come in?”

You nodded and he swept the door open, inviting you in with flourish. Though he was no longer royalty, he still sometimes acted as though he was. You wondered if he would appreciate the paper crowns in Christmas crackers.

“I’m afraid my house isn’t the cleanest right now. Are you alright staying in the kitchen for today?” He asked, looking at you.

You nodded. You didn’t really mind a messy house very much but it would be getting dark soon and you still had a long walk.

Asgore led you into the kitchen and helped you up onto one of the tall stools at the breakfast bar.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” He asked, looking at you hopefully. Ever since leaving the Underground, your friends all had their own tea and as far as you knew they very rarely went to Asgore to have any. You felt bad for him, and considered a surprise tea party where everyone came over.

You realised you hadn’t answered yet and nodded hastily. Asgore made very good tea, and it _had_ been a while since you ate anything. You hoped maybe that Asgore had cookies as well.

The kettle only took a moment to boil – it seemed the water in there was regularly kept warm – and before you knew it you had a steaming mug of sweet smelling tea in front of you. You smiled gratefully at the former king in thanks. He smiled in return, leaning against the counter across from you.

“Was there any particular reason for your visiting, human?” Asgore asked after a moment of pleasant silence. You blew gently on your tea before taking a sip. It was excellent.

You nodded. He was across the room and you certainly wouldn’t be able to reach him if he was standing, so you gestured for him to move closer. When he did, you indicated that he lean down a bit, much as you had with Papyrus earlier this morning. However, the stools at Asgore’s house were much taller and when you stood on them, you found yourself able to reach higher than just Asgore’s chin. His beard was ticklish, but when you stepped back he looked happy.

“Thank you very much, Frisk,” he said seriously. “If ever you decide to visit for this reason again, I shall not object.” He paused a moment, and you had a feeling you knew what he was going to say next. “And… If perhaps you could persuade Toriel to visit for the same reason –“

You were already shaking your head. You had seen that Toriel would not be happy with Asgore.

He fell silent for a short while. “You are right, child. I am sorry.”

You gave him a little hug, hoping to make him feel happy again. You didn’t want to leave him in a bad mood; that wouldn’t be fair.

He patted your back in what you assumed was meant to be a gentle manner. You felt some breath knocked out of you.

“Perhaps I should start cleaning up a little bit, in case anyone else comes by," Asgore said after he let go of you. “I imagine you have places to be as well?”

You nodded. Only two left.

\--

The walk to the Underground was long, and while you hadn’t been back in a while, the path was embedded in your very mind. You wouldn’t be forgetting it any time soon. You thought of maybe checking in with Toriel first but knew that she’d probably have a big lunch to give you, and then you’d be too full to keep going. Or she’d figure out what you were doing and try to stop you. You couldn’t have that, not when you were so close to the end.

You made your way to where the barrier once was and paused, looking in. It was dark, now. Very dark. You were almost scared, but you knew what lay ahead and you soldiered on. You stepped into the darkness.

Before too long, you walked into a wall. Not too forcefully, so it didn’t hurt, but enough to make you bounce back a little. You glanced to your right and sure enough, a faint light was emitting from the corridor that led to the former throne room.

You walked towards it, your eyes adjusting slowly. Before you knew it, you were in the throne room. It was still as bright as the first time you saw it, and all the golden flowers bloomed as though they were still being tended to often. You made your way to Asgore’s old throne and climbed up onto it. You sat and waited.

It wasn’t long before you heard a shuffling sound followed by a quiet yet cheerful voice.

“Howdy! I’m Flowey! Flowey the Fl – oh, it’s you.” The cheerful tone became deadpan once the flower realised who you were.

You turned around, craning your neck where you sat to look behind you, where Flowey was looking on, an expression of boredom on his face. You smiled at the flower and hopped off your chair. The expression shifted to borderline afraid.

“Whoa, hey, back off,” Flowey said, hopping backwards.

You stopped, and your smile fell as you pondered how to do what you’d come to do without frightening the flower. You held up your hands in what you hoped came across as a peaceful gesture.

Flowey frowned. “What are you doing?” He asked.

You beckoned. Flowey hopped closer to you, albeit a little nervously. You sat down on the ground and without warning, gently pulled the flower into your lap. He squirmed for a moment but realised you weren’t trying to hurt him and calmed down – slightly.

“What are you _doing_?” He repeated. He stilled very suddenly, looking at you again. This time fear seemed to have overtaken him. “C-Chara?” He asked, sounding hesitant and a little confused.

You frowned at him and shook your head slightly. Might as well get this over with. You leaned forward, pressing your lips to the flower petals very, very gently.

Flowey was silent for a good long while. He looked at you. He stared and stared.

“Let go of me,” he mumbled eventually, casting his eyes downwards.

You set him on the ground in front of you and he immediately began hopping away, muttering about he still didn’t understand you.

One more stop, and then it was time to go home.

\--

You’d walked the path before, and you knew it would take a long, long time, but you were prepared.

You walked through the Last Corridor, wondering briefly why it always looked like sunset in there. You didn’t think about it for long as before you knew it you were at the elevator. You stepped in and it was only a few seconds later before you found yourself at the next one.

You walked through the CORE, taking as many shortcuts as you could to minimise walking distance.

After having left the CORE, you reach the long empty MTT Resort. You hardly spare it a glance as you walk through. You make your way to the R3 elevator, going down to L1.

For reasons unbeknownst to you, the Riverperson had opted to stay in the Underground, meaning that you could easily travel to Snowdin. That, however, was only half the journey. You still had to get to the Ruins.

After thanking the Riverperson, you turned and were on your way. You wondered if maybe after all this you would bring Flowey back to the surface with you. You knew there wouldn’t be anyone who really appreciated that – Flowey included – but it would make you feel a little bit like everyone was safer.

Before long, you were at the entrance to the Ruins. You stepped in, grateful that it still seemed warm in comparison to the cold of Snowdin. You shivered slightly, walking forward. The walk through the Ruins was a little unsettling. Sure, it’d always been fairly quiet, but now, with everyone gone to the surface, it was almost eerie.

Pushing the thought out of your mind, you continued forward, walking through all the old puzzles you solved ages ago – with Toriel’s help. You wondered how different your journey would have been without her, and without any of the friends you made along the way. Without them, you might not even be the same person. Each of your friends, the friends that eventually became your family, taught you very much and would continue to teach you for the rest of your life.

More and more often you’re reminded of how you fell into the Underground and how it was the greatest thing you’d ever done. Or rather, “the greatest thing you have done so far, because you still have many great things to do” as Papyrus would say. You smiled. There was no doubt in your mind that even if hard days were to come, you’d have your whole family behind you to keep you going.

You reached the clearing where you’d first fallen all those months ago. The patch of golden flowers beneath the golden sunlight was as beautiful as ever, but it wasn’t what you’d come for. You walked past them, to the far end of the cavern, and stopped in front of the stone statue.

Because of its pedestal, it was taller than you, but the child it depicted must have once been your height. You found the little step stool you’d brought here a few weeks ago and put it in front of the statue, climbing up.

Now level with the statue’s face, you pressed a kiss to its snout. The stone was cold.

Time to go home.

**Author's Note:**

> :>


End file.
